Circuit-breaker.



R. L. BROWNE & A. R. HOWELL.

GRGUIT BREAKBR; APPLICATION PILE-P MAY 11, 1906x Patented Aug. l?, 1909.

2 SHBBTSTSHEBT 1V Iii R. L. BROWNE :Sz A. R. HOWELL.

CIRCUIT BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 100G.

WHA/5855s ALEXANDER l HOWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Renner L. BROWN@ Ann no. eeiee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, QOQ.

Application ileday l1, i906. Serial No. 316,276.

l i reunir oi, Y

proveniente in Circuiti-hookers, of which t 'ie following is a Speciiieetion.

illu" nventio.

relates to improvements in and has particular reference lor controlling currents of high he olloying is described in connection Wit-h the accompanying dreufings one. einhodinientof 'the invention, the features thereof heilig inoreperticularly pointed ontl he ritter in the claims.'

the drawings Figure l is o perspective .'llnstrating the device as applied to the of Switch hoard; Fig. 2 is :i rear 1 ri the switch heed partially 3 is o vertical sectional view of Fig. 2.

"e conductor here or pole pieces id marble hase l. by means of haring.; hores or reception rein ndffipted to receive the '.1 ed ends S# of the eircuit mains i heid rigid in Sri-id sockets hy ineens nuts i2, thn uns us deeorihed I perfecty Contact.

i3 have slots 13 Suitupper ends und .ith of the here. The he here ure slightly d toward the switch hoord t Por switch heed 3,5 ud 18. Knife the other two hereinafter h erin ietened to switch heed oit pla-te W" ecn-Ws 2l, Said h Slot suitably n'uninzed at its comprising a mercury column 27 suitably placed in trough 28 in the marble hase und 'adapted to Contact with the' pole pieces al, and 5 .as at 29 forming a. path between the respective conductors when the short knife blade 16 is outJ of Contact with conductor el. 30 is a casing comprising glass side mills 3l und end Walls 32, the suine forming u container for o suitable insuletini;` suhstance such as a heavy oil The level ot the oil is slightly below the top 34.- ot the glass casing 30 to provide n splice lor ille expansion of the oil when heated. Y

is a glass cover or shed mounted on end wells 82 the centi-:rl portion 3G thereof heing adapted to project or enter the body' of the oil 33 to provide :i collector for the mercury jvlnle the mercury column .es being: voletilized, and after volutilif/rutnin hue` token place and the circuit broken` to :iet un o.

volntilizzition of the mercury column. or while f 1 1 4 ny menne et nreckpzissing 'through the :auxiliary ductor 1i, the other two ot' seid knife hludee 17 and 1 8 being retnined in eonlucl with conductors 5 end fis lhc current will dividebetwcenvthe two parallel putin, in proportion to their respective eimdiu-.tivilieu,

when chef inziin circuit is closed through conductor A:ipproxinnitely no currentwill pas through the iercury hut, when the circuit through conductor Ll is opened ai path is formed through the nieren U column to conductor 5, and thence through switch h 5nd 'through conductor C to inuin il. The

current passing throughthe mercury col-- Volatilization has taken place, or when the circuit is broken, the globules .of mercury retained on the collector cover Will form int-o a mass and be shed from th'e under surface of the downwardly sloping edges of said cover and return to its original position and condition.

' It is obvious that the means as herein described may be Widely varied Without departing from the spiritof the invention and We do vnot restrict ourselves to the details of construction herein specifically disclosed'.

lVhat we Vclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An apparatus of 'the character described comprising a plurality of conductors, a liquid clumn of lou'v conductivity connecting two of said conductors and adapted to divide the current passing therethrough until the path through one of thc conductors is broken and vto be Volatilized by said current after said path is broken` and an insulating substance adapted to displace said -liquid column upon the Volatilization of the latter and to open the circuit.

Q. An apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of primary conductors, an auiriliary conductor in contact with at least two of the primary conductors, said auxiliary conductor comprising a liquid column adapted to conduct the current, a trough therefor, an insulating substance adapted to lplace the liquid absorb the heat generated by the passage of current through said liquid column and a container for said insulating substance and means for directing` the current from one of the primary conductors through the aux# iliary conductor, the passage of the current through the latter volatilizing the liquid and permitting the insulating substance to disand break the circuit.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of primary conductors, an auxiliary' conductor in Contact with at least two of the primary conductors, said auxiliary conductor comprising a liquid column adapted to conduct the current. "trough therefor, an insulating substance adapted to absorb the heat generated by the passage of current through said liquid column, a container for said insulating substance and means for directing the current from one of the primary conductors through the' auxiliary conductor, the passage of the current through the latter volatilizing the liquid and permitting the insulating substance to displace the means for collecting the volatilized liquid and returning it to its original position and condition.

el.. An apparatus of the character described including an auxiliary conductor comprising a liquid column adapted to conduct current, a trough therefor, an insulating" substance adapted to rest on said liquid column, means for volatilizing said liquid column and permitting it to be displaced by the insulating substance to break the circuit, means for collecting said volatilized liquid, and means for returning it to its original position and condition. i

5. An apparatus of the character described including an auxiliary conductor comprising a liquid column adapted to conduct current, a trough therefor, oil adapted to rest on said liquid column, means for volatilizing said liquid column and permitting it to be displaced by the oil to break the circuit, means for collecting said volatilized liquid and means for returning it to its original position and condition.

' In testimony `-:hereof We have hereunto signed our names in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses. s

ROBERT LQ BROWNE. ALEXANDER R. HOWELL.

Vitnesses SEABURY C. MAsTIoK, ROBERT W. ASHLEY.

liquid and break the circuit. and` 

